Upcoming Events
Spring 2026
EASC Guest Speaker Series: Page and Stage: The Printing of Drama in the Late Ming – Talk by Yuming He
Monday, April 13 | 4:10PM-5:50PM | Zoom | RSVP
EASC Guest Speaker Series: Talk by Prof. Yuming He (UC Davis) with Faculty Moderator Prof. Mengxiao Wang (EALC 506: Selections from Classical Chinese Literature)
The late Ming was an age of print, and drama was one of its most dynamic forms. This talk discusses the characteristic strategies used by late-Ming bookmakers to organize dramatic texts in print, and explores how these editorial acts allowed such imprints to enter broader intellectual and cultural life where a critical position within the popular became possible.
EASC Guest Speaker Series – Trump Yantra: the Material Culture of Symbiotic Provisions between Thai Monks and Laity – Talk by Susanne Kerekes
Monday, April 20 | 2:00PM-3:20PM | Zoom | RSVP
EASC Guest Speaker Series: Talk by Prof. Susanne Kerekes (Trinity College) with Faculty Moderator Prof. Jessica Zu (REL 342: Buddhist Modernism)
The Buddhist clergy depends on the lay community for material provisions and monetary donations. In return, the laity are said to gain merit (puññā), or other spiritual benefits, such as a Dhamma talk, meditation guidance, chant or a ritual. However, what if clerical spiritual support is not the only concern of the laity? The author observes that the Thai laity also seek from the clergy material memorabilia, such as yantra, for this-worldly benefits. Through a case study of two talismanic yantra created by a Thai monk at the request of lay business owners, this talk argues that the symbiotic relationship between clergy and laity often manifests in material ways. Moreover, it suggests that monks may also gain merit, or rather, prestige, when the material culture that they bestow upon the laity are proven efficacious. In other words, symbiotic provisions illustrate the salience of Buddhist material culture in defining Thai monastic-communal relations, and it highlights monks’ mutual dependence on lay commissions for enhancement of their spiritual power and social prestige.
Providing leadership, coordination and support for East Asian studies at the University of Southern California.
120
Affiliated Faculty in over 44 departments
405
Students sent to East Asia on Global East Asia
$3.1 M
Awarded in Student and Faculty Funding
EASC Signature Programs
Undergraduate
Global East Asia (GEA) is a four week upper-division Maymester research course with a study abroad component for USC undergraduate students, made possible by the East Asian Studies Center and USC Dornsife. This intensive program gives students the opportunity to travel and conduct research in China or Japan. Students from all majors, schools and language backgrounds are eligible to apply and experience East Asia in a unique way.
Graduate
EASC Graduate Fellowships provide summer stipends, typically between $1,000-$3,000, depending on the proposed course of study. The purpose of the award is to advance understanding of East Asia and/or US-Asia relations. The award may be used for research, language training or area studies, and can also be used for research including Asia in a comparative context or as a case study.
Research
A centerpiece of the East Asian Studies Center’s efforts to support all forms of research that deal with East Asia at USC is the manuscript review. Any USC faculty working on a book that deals with East Asia in some way are eligible for possible support. The program is designed to provide helpful and timely feedback to faculty preparing monographs or other similarly large academic works prior to submission for publication.
East Asian Area Studies MA Program Applications are Open!
The East Asian Area Studies (EAAS) Master of Arts is an interdisciplinary program designed to provide advanced academic training in East Asia. Candidates are able to design a program of study based on individual scholarly and professional goals, concentrating on one country (China, Japan, or Korea) or developing region-wide expertise.
Applications are due January 2, 2026.
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East Asian Studies Center
3454 Trousdale Parkway, CAS 100
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0154